The Moment of Truth
by ShironoOkami
Summary: It was inevitable that one day, people would no longer continue to be deceived...  C.C. merely hastened the process.
1. Part One

Oh my God. Life's been a whirl of homework, projects and tests. And here I am, writing again. OK, this originally started out as a one-shot. But it grew, and grew, and grew. I had to cut it in half and it's not even done yet! I know there's been lots of arguments about the ending but you know what? It's an open ending, and I believe, the best ending they could come up with for Code Geass (an anime which, sadly, I do not own). 

So, this is my take on the events after Zero Requiem but before the epilogue CLAMP gave us. Please don't start on whether Lelouch had the code or not, whether he had both the code and the geass, or whether he was dead for real. Readers, please enjoy.

Oh, and on a side note, this is a BOYxBOY story. There were just too many hints for SuzaLulu I couldn't stop myself.

**The Moment of Truth**

The evening was setting, just like every other day. The sun bathed the skies a gentle hue of golden, orange and pink all at the same time, the wind sighing as if to signal the oncoming of dusk. Crickets in the lush, green foliage started their night melody, a chorus of cries that rose above the rustling grass.

But today was unlike any other.

Because the 99th Emperor of Britannia was killed today.

Because _Lelouch_ had died today.

Suzaku shifted once more on the bed he was lying on. Cornelia had taken charge of things immediately after the assassination to prevent chaos from erupting. She was still discussing with the Order of the Black Knights about what was going to happen afterwards. Needless to say, many were dumbstruck by this unlikely event that took place just hours ago. They were stunned—it all seemed so impossible, no one dared to believe it.

But it was real.

Zero was offered a room in the Imperial Palace as they began the meeting. Suzaku did not attend. He… needed to be alone for a while. He just assumed that he was tired, so tired, so emotionally overwhelmed by the fact that he, no, _they_ had actually succeeded. The one thing that kept on niggling in his mind was—why did he feel his heart was being stabbed, ripped into two and torn apart so savagely at the very moment when he slid the sword right through Lelouch's belly? Why on earth did he cry? It was just as if a dam had been destroyed, and the tears just keep streaming down his cheeks, leaving dark, ugly stains.

In the safety of the enclosed room, he took off the mask, the salt water splattering off it. He sank to his knees, biting his lip until it bled. No, he refused to sob. He refused to mourn the death of Euphie's murderer. He hated Lelouch with a white-hot passion, which burned stronger every time he was reminded of all the innocent lives Lelouch had taken, including Euphie's. Especially Euphie's.

_Lelouch could not be forgiven. _

_Ever._

Yet… And yet… He couldn't help the incredibly heavy weight that had settled on his heart. His emotions were in such a jumbled mess, he could not differentiate them. He had expected relief. A slight bit of peace after everything he had gone through. The citizens of Area 11, no the world was celebrating outside, he could hear them shouting and cheering. Britannians and Numbers alike, were jumping for joy. It was as if there had never been any discrimination in the first place. Suzaku… Suzaku was stuck here, lying down and staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to move.

An angry fist collided with the wall just next to him, the pain shooting up his arm a dull sensation compared to everything Suzaku had experienced today. He kept asking himself the same question, searching desperately within himself for an answer.

_Why am I feeling so conflicted?_

* * *

C.C. rose from her kneeling position, her golden gaze filled with a rich sadness—a rare occasion. She had grown attached to him… as an accomplice. As a companion. And as a friend. He was… an interesting fellow. Deep down, she knew that his intentions were very much pure. He was like any other human, searching for his own happiness.

However, along the way, he grew amazingly deceptive. More and more, complicating everything, until he became tangled in a web of lies, as clichéd as it may sound. That web was strong, barricading those on the outside so that they may never know the truth. It was expected that C.C. knew about these fabrications. Geass did not work on her, and true to her word, she stayed by his side the whole time, seeing the pain in him that grew with every 'betrayal'.

She had offered him her code a night before the final stage of Zero Requiem. His eyes softened knowingly at her, grateful. But he refused his only wish. He gave up the happiness he wanted to make a future for everyone. Lelouch saw it as atonement. In all the years C.C. lived (which were many, mind you), she deemed it sacrifice. And a noble one at that. Her lips drew together in a bittersweet smile, her eyes going half-mast at the last of the sun's rays piercing through the stained glass.

It was then she heard a shuffle of footsteps in the empty church.

No, wait. It was a pair of footsteps that were perfectly in sync.

She turned to see, and found herself looking at two little girls, both about twelve years of age. They blinked back at her, with curious mahogany orbs. The one on the right had shoulder-length hair in a ruffled mess around her round face. She was in a dirty T-shirt and tattered jeans. The one on the left had very straight waist-length hair. She was in a dress that was torn and ragged. Both had the same shade of brown for their matted hair. It was then she realized—they were twins.

"You two," C.C. paused, "seem like you have a reason to live."

The two innocent stares grew cautious, and they waited.

C.C. slowly walked up to them, her decision was final. Just this last effort. This one last thing she wanted to do for Lelouch before continuing with her gathering of experiences. She wanted to leave, really, but the last chapter of this story was yet to be written. C.C. was going to gamble on one of the twins.

C.C. smiled, her tone gentle as she asked, "Would you lend me your help for a while?"

_Consider this a favour, Lelouch._

* * *

Cornelia let out a soft sigh, leaning back against the soft armchair. With help from the Order of the Black Knights, she managed to control the overexcited crowd and drive out the remaining slaves that were forced to serve Lelouch during his short reign as Emperor. The palace was now under both parties' control, and they had used a spare meeting room to discuss future steps. Zero followed them into the building but he left without a word as soon as Nunnally offered him a room after he cut the chains around her limbs.

The meeting started with ten minutes of silence. It seemed that everyone was lost in their thoughts, probably replaying whatever that just happened in front of their very eyes. Tōdō had his eyes closed and his arms crossed as usual. Kaguya had lost her air of usual serenity, staring blankly at whatever that was in front of her. Xing Ke wrapped Tian Zi's hand in his own—a protective, comforting gesture. The empress was still a young girl and knew not much of betrayal and the hatred that often came with it, which resulted in her crying. Probably to her, when someone passes away, no matter who, it is still a sad occasion. Ah, the courage and purity of children…

The others didn't mind—they let her mourn for their part too.

Ōgi was slightly disturbed, but the presence of Viletta with their unborn child instilled in him a sense of calm and responsibility and he quickly recovered, helping Cornelia organize the crowd and to restore order. Though that being said, the meeting disbanded without any of them coming to a decision for the many issues raised. And if that wasn't enough, there was Zero to add to the equation. It was then agreed that the next meeting would be held when all of them were ready.

Guilford stood beside Cornelia's seat (standing tall and proud even being supported by a cane), keeping watch over his superior long after the meeting was over. Afternoon turned into evening. And evening to night. Still the princess did not move. Neither did he.

"Guilford, my knight." Came the strained, exhausted voice of the Goddess of Victory.

"Yes, Princess?" Guilford answered to his call, straightening his stance.

"Do you think…" Cornelia rested her chin heavily on the back of her hand, her beautiful maroon hair framing her face perfectly, "that—,"

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

"Princess!" Guilford moved with surprising speed, planting himself firmly between Cornelia, an arm outstretched to shield her.

Cornelia's hands clenched around the edges of the armrests until her knuckles turned white underneath her pale lavender gloves. Her eyes narrowed and her forehead creased with anticipation and worry. _What more was there to come?_ Cornelia's mind rang with that single thought, and she tensed, preparing to spring.

A small girl came into view, the moonlight bathing her tanned face. Her mussed hair only reached her shoulders, and she looked to be about twelve.

"How did you get in here?" Guilford asked, his tone stern.

"With some assistance." She replied, her tone steady and unfaltering. "I need to speak with the princess."

Guilford recoiled slightly in surprise, the black shades nearly falling off with his movement—a befitting response to this incredulous situation. Who was a twelve-year-old girl to demand to see Her Highness Cornelia, the Second Princess, if she wasn't of royal blood? The girl waited patiently, her brown eyes watching their every move.

"Child," Guilford said reproachfully, "how dare you show such insolence?"

"Sir," The girl leaned forward a little, tilting her head, "I acknowledge the fact she was a princess. But I am sure you do know that the Holy Britannian Empire is no more. Now, can I please speak to her?"

Guilford sputtered, not believing he had just been bested by a mere kid. He heard the familiar 'swish' of Cornelia's cape as she walked slowly towards the little girl. Cornelia went down on one knee so that she was eye-to-eye with the girl, apparently taking the time to listen.

"Do you wish to know the truth about Lelouch?" Her soft voice reverberated through the empty room, shocking both the princess and her knight to silence.

Cornelia's eyes widened as she looked into the girl's eyes, both were glowing red with the unmistakable symbol of Geass. The girl's gaze followed her and Cornelia recovered from her shock, hastily avoiding those accursed pupils. Guilford knew something was obviously not right and hastened to get in between the girl and his princess. But Cornelia held up a hand, barring him from going any further.

"I will allow up to three questions for you to ask about Lelouch's past. For each question, I will use my Geass to show you his memories connected to it." She continued, the moonlight now making her look more eerie than anything else.

"I've had enough of that vile power!" Cornelia exclaimed, wishing she had a sword with her. "Who told you to do this? Answer me!" She shouted, furious.

The girl didn't answer, choosing to blink at her instead.

"Truth? What truth?" Cornelia grew solemn, gaining control over herself again. "The only truth was that Euphie was forced to kill the Elevens by Lelouch before he disposed of her! She was used and tossed away like a ragdoll!"

"That is what you perceive." She nodded somewhat understandingly. "And your reaction is only natural. There is no helping it."

"What?" Cornelia glared at her, wondering what this was leading up to.

"Lelouch had entangled himself in a web of lies, and died that way. People will hate him, not knowing the truth. A bit like Princess Euphemia's case, isn't it?" She lowered her head humbly, not meaning to be rude to the one who was elder.

Cornelia's hands turned to tight fists, her teeth gritting in anger.

"I will not force you. But a certain… accomplice of Lelouch's thought it might bring some peace to the people that knew him personally." The girl revealed a gun from behind her back and placed it onto the floor, sliding it towards Cornelia. "Just in case you think I'm lying, or you feel something is not right, use that gun to shoot me. Though I cannot be sure whether I can deactivate my Geass in time if you do. I don't want you to get trapped in someone else's memories."

Guilford hobbled over to the gun, his other senses heightened after depending heavily on them. He became blind after being caught in the F.L.E.I.J.A. explosion, but that did not mean he was crippled. He raised the gun with the intention to shoot. Cornelia observed from her position, not saying anything.

"Princess Cornelia li Britannia," The girl stood, rooted to the spot, not running away, "I ask you again. Do you wish to the truth of Lelouch? And everything behind Princess Euphemia's death?"

"How do I know you are not lying about your Geass?" Cornelia jerked her chin up at the girl, Guilford instinctively pausing at the sound of her voice.

"Princess!" He turned to her in horror.

"You were a slightly confused when Queen Marrianne ordered you to ask her personal guards to leave on the day of the so-called terrorist attack orchestrated by V.V.," the girl's voice holding no lie, "but in the end you did not question her, the one whom you sincerely admired and respected."

Cornelia took a few steps back, her mind frantically trying to find out why did the girl not only knew that particular piece of information, but also her exact feelings during that moment. Disbelief was written clearly all over her face, and her thoughts grew disorientated as memories came rushing back to her.

"You…!" Guilford raised the gun once more, his finger about to pull the trigger.

"Wait!" Cornelia commanded, shaken to the core. "You are only seeing memories. How can I believe anything that you say then? Lelouch is dead, and therefore your Geass would be ineffective against him."

"My Geass does not allow just me to see memories. I can share the power with other people, meaning I can also let you see what I see. And my Geass is strong enough to let me see the memories of a person as long as I know how they look like. I've already watched the assassination clip from the television station." She explained, shrugging.

"I am given three questions?" Cornelia stepped forward boldly, taking the gun from her knight's grasp.

"Yes." The girl nodded, not flinching when the gun was again pointed at her, this time by the princess herself.

"I only need to know one truth." Cornelia's voice trembled ever so slightly as she cocked the gun. "How did Euphie die?"

"Your Highness Princess Cornelia!" Guilford rushed to her. "What are you—,"

"Guilford, stand down." Cornelia ordered without looking at him.

"But—,"

"Understood." The girl nodded, not paying much attention to the knight.

And with that, Cornelia was lost in a myriad of images and sounds. She was lost in something intangible… Something known as a memory.

Guilford stayed, following his orders. However, he looked on helplessly with much concern, even more so as the sound of a single tear rolled down the cheek of the strong-willed princess onto the floor with a light patter. The gun soon followed, the metal clattering loudly against the floor.

"What are you doing to her?" Guilford roared at the girl, panicking.

"I am answering her question." She replied, rather sounding distant. "Depending on how close the person is to Lelouch, they might be able to feel his emotions during that time. Now, hush. I have to focus."

What seemed hours to Guilford was, in actual reality, a few minutes. Cornelia's silence was then replaced by a half-gasp, most definitely indicating that whatever she was experiencing was over. A murmur of 'Euphie' and after that 'Lelouch' before she sank to the ground, Guilford's arm coming round to support her. The girl blinked, her Geass still glowing in the darkness, very much like cats' eyes. Cornelia drew a shuddering breath, the life coming back to her dull eyes. She saw Guilford's face above her with her clearing vision, whatever she had seen burnt into her mind.

"W-Why…" Cornelia cleared her throat, feeling weak. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not here to justify his actions, just so you know. Besides, you were the one who asked me." The girl turned on her heel, her back facing the noble woman. "I'm just here to reveal things as they are."

Cornelia staggered to her feet, all the while maintaining a certain grace. Almost like a swan, especially when her cape spread out behind her once more. With wary eyes she watched the small back retreating, her expression turning solemn as the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

"Guilford." Cornelia shifted her gaze, her voice suddenly resolute.

"Princess?" The knight turned to the command, standing up at the same time.

"Tell the rest of these people that a meeting will be held in three days," Cornelia gestured towards the empty seats at the table beside her, "to discuss whether Lelouch should be cremated or buried. I do not want a body to be mutilated or destroyed right after we've retrieved it."

Guilford frowned, puzzled, but nevertheless he nodded, "Yes, Princess."

* * *

"So…" Tōdō opened his eyes slowly. "Why are gathered here?"

"Tōdō-san…" Nagisa glanced at him, slightly unsure of what to say. "Did you also get this note?" She held out a neat, square-shaped piece of white paper, elegant handwriting being displayed on it.

"Looks like you two aren't the only ones." Another voice commented from the doorway.

"Ōgi?" Tōdō rested his gaze on the other man, who seemed to have just arrived.

"The note just says to come to this empty ballroom at dawn." He shrugged, checking his piece of paper again.

"That is correct."

Three heads snapped in the direction of the fourth voice, which so happened to belong to a young girl. The trio took in her unkempt appearance, along with her shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. Nagisa quickly regained her composure and started to the child, bending down to speak to her. Suddenly, a strangulated cry erupted from her and she lost her balance, falling flat onto her butt. Tōdō and Ōgi were at her flanks within seconds, only to receive the same shock.

The little girl's eyes held the symbol that the never wanted to see in their lives again. The red symbol of betrayal—the symbol of Geass. The men started cursing themselves for not bringing any weapons along with them. One could not place the blame on them however, for the fighting was supposed to be over.

"I come here bearing the truth." The girl said, eyes unblinking. "My Geass allows me to show other people memories of another. Would you like to know how Lelouch lied to everyone, and succeeding in making them believe it until his death?"

"You mean it was all a lie?" A familiar redhead burst into the room, shouting desperately.

"I'll leave you to judge for yourselves." Came the simply reply.

"We have no obligation to believe you." Ōgi spoke, his tone leaving no space for argument. "Please leave." He turned his back, walking away.

The girl let out a soft sigh, one that caught the attention of the four adults.

"I see. Humans are cruel beings after all." The girl proceeded to take her leave.

"What did you say?" Ōgi was rather taken aback by her offhanded remark.

"Humans are cruel." The girl repeated softly, in a voice that seemed to contain much wisdom. "They are often quick to judge after listening to one side of the story. They give in to hate and anger, feeling themselves wronged because of another person's actions… A pity that most conflicts are never solved because either one party isn't given a chance to explain, or the other party is too caught up with their emotions to listen to the one explaining."

This elaboration drew a stunned silence from the four (well, in Tamaki's case, it probably meant that he was confused) and they were noticeably uncomfortable. Ōgi the most shaken of all. The girl took a good look at all of them before making up her mind. If they did not want to know, then she had no further business here. She continued to head towards the door.

"Wait!" Tamaki cried, holding a hand up. "I want to know about Zero! About Lelouch!" He declared.

The girl paused, but did not turn to face him.

"If you would shed some undiscriminating light on this," Tōdō uncrossed his arms, and moved to stand beside Tamaki, "it would be much appreciated."

"I still don't like Zero." Nagisa stated, making it very clear. "But that doesn't mean I want to remain ignorant." And so, she stood up, joining the other two.

"Could you please…" Ōgi started, voice particularly strained. "tell us what happened? Or show us?"

"I allow the whole group three questions. Ask away." The girl smiled gently at them, no longer facing the door.

"Why did Zero carry out a secret genocide?" Tōdō asked, without hesitation.

"Did Zero really order the massacre of the Elevens at the Special Zone?" Nagisa's hands balled up to trembling fists, cringing inwardly at the dark moment.

"Was Zero who we really thought he was?" Ōgi took his turn, lowering his head.

"The third question is too ambiguous. Please be more specific." The girl clasped her hands together, waiting.

"Why did Zero want to destroy his own country?" Tamaki cut in, effectively breaking Ōgi's train of thought. "Answer me! He was supposed to be my best bud!" He flailed his arms wildly in the air, tears springing from his eyes.

"Tamaki…!" Ōgi held the redhead's overreacting shoulder and was about to ask his own question when…

"Understood."

Thus, the four journeyed back to the past. Through Lelouch's very own eyes. Not a sound was uttered throughout the whole process. The group travelled from the birth of his hatred, to the depths of his despair and to the centre of all his anger. Bit by bit, what their eyes were shown were etched into their minds, leaving a sort of afterglow. The Geass was overwhelming, and when everything was over, the four surfaced from the sea of memories, gasping for air like beached fishes.

"Zero…" Ōgi steadied himself by gripping the edge of a nearby window ledge. "So… you were always fighting—,"

"Alone?" With a flash of lime-green hair, the witch known as C.C. appeared before them. "That isn't entirely true. He did have the Black Knights for a while. Amongst a few others, of course."

"C.C.!" Ōgi's exclamation was echoed with another two gasps.

For all those who want to know, Tamaki was sprawled onto the floor with a little drool dribbling down the side of his mouth, totally knocked out for the count.

"As for the question you wanted to ask," C.C. faced Ōgi, meeting his eyes directly, "Lelouch never used Geass on the members of the Black Knights to gain their loyalty and trust."

The man grew silent, avoiding her brilliant golden eyes.

"At least show us some proof through the same method." Nagisa voiced out, but rather subdued compared to how she first was.

"It wouldn't be very proper for any of us to skim through his whole life just to find out whether he used Geass just for that purpose, would it? Even this child understood that it was intrusive and asked me to guide her each time she dived into his past." She went over to the girl's side, whose eyes were back to normal. "Besides, I _am _Lelouch's accomplice." C.C. gestured to herself with a flourish, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "The only one who was beside him since the very beginning."

Her words were met with no response other than the light snoring from Tamaki lying on the carpeted floor.

"I can very well tell you that Lelouch did not use Geass to force obligations," she paused, "but people, in general, have a habit of denying the truth that is laid out before them."

"It is morning." The small girl looked at the sun's rays, which were piercing the glass of the windows, with a refreshing wonder that can mostly be found in children. "And it is time." She continued, fixated on one of Mother Nature's most magical moments—the sunrise.

"Goodbye." C.C. spun, her hair flowing beautifully with her fluid movement…

And within seconds, both the witch and the girl were gone.

* * *

Xingke stepped out of the room quietly, with a fond smile on his face. Tian Zi steady breathing, her fingers clasping the silk duvet gently was a constant reminder that he had not lost her even after everything they had went through. Xingke was grateful that he wasn't personally close to Zero. Otherwise known as Lelouch. There were too many lies surrounding that man, and that led to him hurting almost everyone that had worked with him. He had his own duty to carry out as well—protecting Tian Zi. Anything else was secondary.

He walked through the hallways, going back on his decision to wake Tian Zi. It was already late morning, but she had been physically and emotionally drained by the heavy turn of events. As he passed through the grand corridors, he saw not one, but two young girls hand-in-hand, appreciating the beauty of the many paintings on the wall. One had long brown hair down to her waist. The other one's fell to her shoulders. Out of curiousity, he followed their gaze and found himself looking at a painting of Lelouch as Emperor.

"Lelouch vi Britannia…" The girl with longer hair read the words inscribed onto the gold plate under it, her expression turning thoughtful.

The shorter-haired one grinned back at her, and Xingke knew immediately they were twins—they had the same faces.

As he leaned back and crossed his arms to continue watching them, something… something compelled him to say something to the twins. A little something known as compassion perhaps.

"I've met him before he became Emperor." Xingke made his way over to them, a small smile tugging on his lips. "I even shook hands with him."

"You did?" The short-haired girl tilted her head to one side questioningly.

"Yeah." The confirmation came out as a slight sigh.

"What was he like?" The other asked, eyes wide open.

Xingke raised his head, admiring the wide blue sky from the large window behind them. He debated over what to say and decided to give his own opinion in the end.

"He was a man… that didn't hesitate to sacrifice everything he had for a tomorrow." The clouds reflected on his eyes, and the twins also followed his actions, the three of them gazing at the sky. "He wanted happiness, like all of us. However, most of the time no one could tell what he was thinking. His hand was very firm when I shook it, but… I felt a certain tenderness to his touch. He must've treasured whatever that was important to him very much. To think he came up with such a plan…" Xingke's voice trailed off, it was more as if he was speaking to himself than anyone else.

"How did you find all of that out from just a handshake?" The short-haired twin frowned sceptically.

Xingke chuckled lightly at the child's innocent question, "I worked with him once. And I am a swordsman," he patted his Chinese sword, which was hanging from his belt, "so I can tell a lot from just grasping a hand."

"You are…" The long-haired girl stepped forward with a startlingly benevolent mien. "an interesting person."

"Come on, aneki!" The other twin giggled. "We're already late. Let's go!"

The two took off, laughing cheerily as they flew by the many doors, until they reached the gentle sunshine outside. Li Xingke took in obvious happiness with a light heart, thinking to himself.

_Let those of the future… not be tainted with hatred._

* * *

It was the beginning of the third day after Lelouch's passing. Yet Suzaku still kept to himself, in the luxurious room, unable to enjoy the amenities provided. He didn't move from his bed. Not even to eat or drink. The feeling of the Geass cast on him was making his body burn for the past few hours, urging him to at least take a sip of water. However, he did not heed it. He was so lost, his senses were in disarray, judging from the fact he did not notice someone climbing in through the window. It was only when a shadow loomed over him then he jumped, reflexively throwing a punch at it's owner. The hand that caught his fist was strong and just for a second, he met the eyes of Jeremiah Gottwald.

The cover on Jeremiah's left eye slid open in that second, the symbol of Geass Canceller penetrating through Suzaku's fog of emotions, reaching the former Knight of Zero's dead emerald orbs. There was a sudden sound, much akin to a piece of glass being shattered, and the spell cast on Suzaku was broken.

The brunette fell to his hands and knees, eyes widened with utter disbelief. His mind struggled to process what had just happened, taking a few seconds longer than usual to make him realise it. How… How could it have so easy…? How could it have been so simple to destroy that permanent Geass, that life-long command? _How could Jeremiah have taken away his last remaining link with Lelouch just like that?_

How dare he!

Suzaku bellowed, clutching at Jeremiah's uniform so tightly that the fabric started to rip. In a magnificent fit of rage, he slammed Jeremiah against the thick wooden door, causing the older man to cough. Suzaku's knuckles sunk deeper into flesh, sanity losing it's grip on him.

"This…" Jeremiah coughed again, fighting to get his words out. "is quite unexpected."

"What is?" Suzaku glared right back, his voice dangerously low.

"His Highness," Jeremiah gasped, taking in as much air as he could, "thought you might be relieved."

Suzaku jerked back in surprise, all at once going slack. Jeremiah slid onto the floor, trying to regain consciousness. The sound of heavy breathing filled the room, and the words repeated over and over again in Suzaku's mind. _That's right. Why… Why am I so furious? _Suzaku glanced around wildly, trying to recollect his thoughts. _My link with… Lelouch? What did I just—_

"You possess admirable strength." Jeremiah gave a final cough, picking himself up.

"Wasn't I supposed to live?" Suzaku shouted to no one in particular, his voice thick with emotion. "What was the whole point then if you were just going to take it away anyways? You told me to sacrifice everything, to live even though I so badly wanted to die—that was my atonement!" Suzaku slammed the side of his fist against the wall, his entire frame trembling.

Jeremiah stayed silent, contemplating the younger one's reaction. He tread softly to Suzaku, his hand somehow falling onto the brunette's shoulder.

"I think His Majesty had much faith in you." Jeremiah said, in what he hoped to be a comforting tone. "He believed that you would continue living even without the Geass. He trusted you completely, without doubt. That was probably why he left you with the future." He patted the shoulder once and left the same way he came.

Suzaku was left alone with no one but his salty tears for company yet again. They fell freely… silently… as he sat on the floor, staring dazedly into space.

* * *

"What?" Kallen did a double take at the little girl's words. "You're saying you can actually show me Lelouch's memories? Is that your Geass? I thought C.C. would've been wiser not to continue it's lineage." Kallen turned grim, having second thoughts about the pizza girl.

"I just wanted a bit of Lelouch's truth to be revealed." C.C. shrugged nonchalantly, patting the girl's head softly. "Unless of course you don't want to be entitled to some questions?" She smirked, a sly finger tapping on her chin.

"Whatever." Kallen glanced sideways with a huff, apparently sulking.

"Lelouch was…" Another little girl revealed herself from behind the first. "precious to you, wasn't he?" Her brown eyes suddenly turning red, the Geass symbol reflecting clearly off them.

"Geh!" Kallen retreated instinctively from shock. "C.C.! You gave twins Geass?"

"Nope. She was supposed to give it to aneki," The first girl answered. "But I jumped in last minute. Aneki was not going to do it alone."

"And Geass was granted to the both of them at the same time." Kallen eyed the two girls exasperatedly.

"So, do you want to know anything, Kallen-onee-san?" The first girl who had shorter hair tugged on Kallen's blouse hem, her Geass also already activated.

"What's your name?" Kallen squatted, amused.

"Erica." She answered, pulling her sister beside her in the process. "And my aneki is Maya."

"I am pleased to meet your acquaintance." Maya bowed her head demurely, her long bangs falling over her eyes.

"Erica and Maya, huh?" Kallen smiled. "Those are nice names."

"Thanks!" Erica chirped.

"Thank you." Maya chimed in at the same time.

Both girls however, were still looking at Kallen expectantly.

"Uh…" Kallen stalled, hesitant.

She didn't remember being so focused when she was a kid!

"I… No, thanks." Kallen shook her head, serious. "I don't think I need to know anything in particular."

"Wow." Erica grinned, pleased. "You're the first to give that answer."

"C.C.," Kallen glared at Lelouch's so-called accomplice, "how many people did you ask?"

"A few." The woman answered, lounging like a cat on the bed. "Say, do they deliver pizza here?"

"Lelouch has a say in this matter. You can't simply show his memories to other people like that."

"Lelouch is dead." C.C. sighed, obviously not listening. "I didn't give them his whole life story. Just some of the lies he created. Why? Feeling left out?" She smirked.

"It's not that!" Kallen stormed up to her, more frustrated than anything else. "What if Lelouch didn't want this?"

"I did plenty of things he didn't want before." C.C. rolled her eyes, reaching out for a random magazine. "But he was always thankful for them later."

"Ngh!" Kallen suddenly backed off, at a loss of words.

"Whoops." C.C. grinned. "Did I hit a sore spot?"

Kallen then chose not to answer, crossing her arms with a scoff. The twins watched the two women, amused.

"How many more people do we have left?" Erica sat down on the bed, swinging her legs.

"Three, if I remember correctly." Maya had a delicate hand on her chin.

"Your role is the most important for the last person, isn't it, aneki?" Erica scrambled over to her sister, giggling.

She smiled helplessly at her younger sibling, "I suppose so."

* * *

Nina rolled over, the blanket getting caught between her legs. She was fast asleep in her temporary room, as Cornelia had freed some of the people that had been jailed by the Demon Emperor. But her sleep was restless.

She dreamed.

_Two smiles._

_One mistake._

_Blood. Screams._

_Self-hate. Confusion. Anger. Regret._

_Resolve._

_A gunshot._

_And then…_

_The innermost depths of despair._

Though the dream had quickly transformed into a nightmare, she did not wake. Her tears pooled beneath her eyelids, and they streamed, wetting not only her cheeks, but the pillow supporting her head. Just as suddenly as the dream came, it faded back to oblivion.

And with it came a sense of peace…

* * *

"Nunnally-sama?" Sayoko approached, bearing a silver tray filled with several sweet treats and a cup of fragrant tea. "I have brought some snacks."

"Thank you." A quiet, rather thoughtful reply. "I'm glad Onee-sama let you out, Sayoko-san."

"I'm glad I can still be of service to you, Nunnally-sama." Sayoko bowed her head respectfully, getting used to seeing those lovely violet eyes.

Without further ado, she excused herself from the room, the slight change in the air enough to let her know that Nunnally wanted to be left alone for a while. She was, after all, part of the famous Shinozuka clan. Nunnally clasped her hands together, closing her eyes. The darkness that came along with the action was familiar and comforting. She tried to remember the warmth of her elder brother's hand she had held just days ago, cherishing the feeling. The world was before her in a mixture of colours, shapes and sizes. But she could not fully appreciate any of it, for she was very much alone.

She wanted so badly to hold a funeral for him, to grieve for his passing. And she knew she might just be the only one who cared enough to attend. Better yet, Cornelia might refuse her request. She knew of what her brother did. Of the lies that he had coated himself with. Of the double meaning behind his every action. The touch of her brother's hand was the one and only thing that confirmed everything.

_If only they understood…_ The young girl's lip trembled with bottled up emotion. _If only they knew of his sacrifice…_

She had been blind for a large part of her childhood, she learnt to adapt. Eventually, she became keen through her hands. She could feel the emotions of a person through a handshake, and she could often sense subtle things through her hearing. They were siblings—it was inevitable that she would manage to grasp Lelouch's master plan—and her own strategy was a near duplicate of her brother's. Never had the proverb 'great minds think alike' been so true.

Her forehead creased gently, and she began to weep. All the while with one thought ringing in her head.

_It's not fair._

However, through the blurry window of tears, she noticed a girl standing someway off to her right. She was a little tense (probably because of the sudden crying) but stayed where she was anyways, watching thoughtfully. Nunnally quickly caught herself, lifting up a deft hand to wipe away those unsightly droplets.

"Yes?" Nunnally cleared her throat gently, "How may I help you?" She asked from her wheelchair, laying her hands on her lap.

It was instinct that made her turn to her left side, and lo behold, standing at her blind spot was another girl. Nunnally glanced back and forth between them, slightly confused and unsure. Both girls slowly came up to her, faces innocent and devoid of any ill intent. The shorter-haired one took her right hand in hers. The longer-haired one did the same with her left. Both stood silently in front her, smiling just a little.

In that split second, both pairs of eyes in front of her bore the Geass symbol—

And something incredible happened.

As clearly as if it were just yesterday, she saw herself at the Damocles once more in her mind's eye. She heard her brother's soft, compassionate words of love to her. At the exact same moment, a very warm, very familiar hand descended upon her head, caressing the top of her head so tenderly that tears sprang forth from her wide open eyes.

All at once, the sensations vanished… and there was once again an empty void.

Overwhelmed, darkness engulfed Nunnally as she struggled to speak, the only word leaving her lips being,

"Onii-sama…"

* * *

Zero walked the royal gardens, his body feeling like lead—a very rare occasion. He could not summon the energy to walk once again with a proud posture, a straight stance. Something had died inside of him. The fire was gone.

The grass crunched lightly beneath his feet, wet with morning dew. The air was crisp, cool and somewhat pleasant, as if to mock Zero's dark mood. He arrived at Exelica Gardens by default, his feet following his heart instead of his brain. The lone figure stood in front the marble domed shelter that rested nicely beside the calm river. He circled the marble structure once, before standing at the edge of the topmost step—also made of marble. Zero knelt down, a hesitant, gloved hand brushing very lightly against a single spot.

He muttered a soft curse, drawing his hand back so fast it was like he had touched fire and stood at attention, body rigid.

As the famous hero angled his head upwards to the vast sea of blue above him, his eyes observed the drifting plumes of white from inside the mask. A wisp of black hair caught his gaze and his reflexes took over, resulting him in jumping away, his guard already up to defend against any oncoming attack.

But _this… This_ he had not expected.

Standing there with a lopsided smile stretched across that lovely face. Amethyst eyes that were no longer dull, but shimmering with life. Jet-black hair that contrasted beautifully with such fair skin. As the gentler breeze fluttered by, ruffling the person's long bangs, it gave birth to a picture of utter bliss.

_It can't be… It can't be. It can't. It __**just**__ can't—_

Oh… but it was.

The person emerged from his daydream, blinking a few times to clear the spell. His smile turned fond as he faced Zero, who eyes were practically bulging with shock. The person, who obviously couldn't see through the mask then tried to follow the general direction in which Zero was facing, searching for what the other was looking at in amused puzzlement. Finding nothing, Zero heard—_he actually heard_—the rich chuckle that belonged to no one else.

"Le—," A hand shot out to reach for the person.

Then, just like that, he was gone.

Zero's heart thudded painfully against his chest, screaming at the unfairness of it all. The lowering of his arm just made the pang all the more hurtful, all the more real. Lelouch was gone. And there was no way he was ever coming back. His mind had just chosen to be particularly nasty today and decided to make him hallucinate.

"That wasn't an illusion, I'll have you know." A musical voice rang in the air, gaining his attention.

Zero looked over his shoulder, but did not respond.

"Do you want to meet him?" Her long hair flowing like satin as the wind picked up speed. "Would you want to talk to him for one last time? Would you want to hear truth being spoken from Lelouch's very lips?"

Her questions were met with further silence.

"I see." The girl lowered her head a little, somewhat melancholic. "So you do not want anything else to do with Lelouch."

At the sound of the name, Zero started.

"Farewell then, Kururugi Suzaku." The girl walked ahead of him, intending to disappear from his sight.

Her arm was yanked from behind, none-too-gently. However, her expression remained the same, her brown eyes boring through the mask of Zero.

"Do you want to see him or not?" The girl repeated her question calmly, still staring at the young adult.

Suzaku's jaw clenched hard, still not really understanding her.

"No." Though it was clear that he had his answer.

"A pity." The girl let out a small, regretful sigh. "Looks like there is still much hate in you."

Suzaku inclined his head forward as if agreeing. The girl came up to him, staring straight into his eyes, her own curious orbs flickering with emotion.

"Demon." She hissed, her tone turning to steel.

Suzaku drew back, startled.

"Hero!" Her face did a 180 degree turn, lighting up with awe and admiration.

It was no doubt that the former Knight of Zero was quite confused.

"In the human world, there is no escaping judgement. Be it the purest of hearts or the most evil of minds. Britannian. Japanese. It is not surprising that it comes so naturally to us," the girl held out a hand to Suzaku, "as our senses are all tuned outwards. We hardly look within, and thus, we often blame others. One of the many beginnings of war, I'm sure you are aware."

The girl paused, choosing to circle Suzaku once with graceful, light steps, her feet almost not making any noise as she moved.

"You have also realised that no matter which side you are on, no matter what method you use, war is war. You will still kill. And killing is killing, no matter what reason you give for it. It is the action itself that cannot be denied, true?" The girl brought her hands together, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the breeze fluttering by. "The one sin you will not forgive was Princess Euphemia's murder. And after that, Shirley's. You cannot forgive even yourself and hope to die. Coward."

Suzaku's head shot up as if he had been stung.

"Death is a mere escape route. Let yourself find peace, Kururugi Suzaku. Everybody deserves it, including those who have wronged." The girl turned to leave. "Meet me here at midnight if you have the courage to face everything you have done up till now and forgive yourself for it."

And so he did.

Suzaku wasn't exactly sure why he came back. Maybe he _wanted_ to believe that Lelouch was innocent. Maybe he _wanted_ to forgive him, to get rid of all these conflicting feelings inside him. On one hand, he hated Lelouch. On the other, he wanted nothing more but to bring the raven back. It seemed the latter was getting stronger as the days passed.

The girl was there, as expected, eyeing him in his Zero garb. Another was with her this time.

"So you are Zero." The second girl hopped up to him, grinning. "Or shall I say the Knight of Zero?"

It was then it struck him—they knew his identity. Questions raced through his mind as he tried to figure out how was it revealed.

"You met my aneki this afternoon, didn't you?" She continued. "Her name's Maya. Mine's Erica."

"Come. We shall go." Maya set off at a brisk pace.

"Wait up, aneki!" Erica scampered after her, leaving Suzaku no choice but to follow.

As they walked, Suzaku was led to a small, rundown cottage deep in the royal gardens. They stopped in front of the door, which was hanging by it's hinges.

"There is no turning back after this." Maya started.

"Do you wish to know everything? Are you prepared for the consequences? Can you really accept what you are going to be shown?" Erica picked up right after her sister, her expression serious.

"We are only tools that provide the answer. Whatever you choose to do after this, we hold no responsibility. Have you thought this through?" Maya began as soon as her sister finished.

"A reason has brought you here. Something you daren't believe. Yet you still came to meet us." Erica smiled, again speaking right after her sister.

"Do you wish to know, Kururugi Suzaku?" They spoke at the same time, the both of them had a hand resting on the door.

"…Yes."

"Then it shall be revealed to you." Both girls said in perfect synchronisation, their eyes glowed strongly, the symbol of Geass appearing on their pupils.

"C.C.!" A voice was suddenly heard from beyond the door. "You told them to tell him _what_? And you say he's not the only one?"

An achingly familiar voice of someone Suzaku knew. And knew very well.

"What? You wanted not only him to know, right?" C.C. retorted, less panicky. "I did it for you, so there."

"Nunnally's intuition and understanding would've been enough! God dammit, doing whatever you please all the time." The voice trailed off to an exasperated grumble.

Suzaku soon found he could not stay still for any longer, and with sudden a burst of strength, he pushed open the door, taking off his mask. The sight that greeted him was so impossible, all he could do was stare. And _Lelouch_ was staring right back at him, his beautiful amethyst eyes wide with shock.

C.C. yawned, motioning to Erica.

"Wait!" Lelouch lunged, knowing what was coming next. "Don't! Stop it!"

But the pale fingers never reached him, and before he knew it, he was already whisked into another world, far away from that small cottage in the royal gardens.


	2. Part Two

Finally, finally, finally! I've been aching to get this two-shot out of my head for months! And it's done. Phew! This is how I thought the scenes after Zero Requiem but before the epilogue should be. It is just my interpretation of the ending so I'd like to note once again, don't bring up the subject of Lelouch's death, resurrection or whatever. I don't own Code Geass and thanks for reading!

**The Moment of Truth**

"_You sure are cautious. The camera has already been switched off."_

"_It's because I've always been hiding." Lelouch took off his mask and with his other hand, he revealed a gun. "Thanks to a certain Imperial Empire. This is a ceramic needle gun. Detectors can't find this." He pointed it straight at the pink-haired princess._

"_Lelouch, you won't fire at me, right?" Euphemia spoke, brimming with confidence._

"_Yes, I won't fire at you. Euphie, the one firing will be you." _

"_Eh?"_

Suzaku watched through Lelouch's eyes, spellbound. The conversation progressed and somehow, Suzaku felt the exact burn spreading through his left eye. And then, anger, frustration…

"_Stop it! Stop feeling pity for me! I won't accept sympathy from you! I'll try and achieve it with my own power!" Lelouch staggered up, shouting. "I'm willing to taint myself to do that! Euphemia li Britannia!" Lelouch opened his eyes, his Geass activating._

_No! He did not want pity! Did not expect it and despised it. What's worse, it came from someone that was part of the Imperial Empire… part of the Emperor's family!_

"_I have already relinquished that name!" Euphemia replied._

_Lelouch paused, his Geass gone and his mouth parted at her words._

_The princess stood up, "I think it won't be long before the main country announces it. I have relinquished my rights to succeed the throne as well."_

"_Why?" Lelouch asked, his heart pounding in his chest._

Growing horror and worry for the princess started to fill Suzaku's heart. But (he realized with a start), in truth, these were all Lelouch's emotions.

"_Don't tell me it's because you accepted Zero." Lelouch's guilt was underlying his sentence._

"_Since they listened to my selfish request, in return I have to pay an appropriate price, right?" Euphemia lifted her shoulders slightly in a shrug._

_Now Lelouch just could not believe it._

_But he caught himself rather quickly, "You sure abandoned it easily. Are you going to say it was for my sake?"_

_Euphemia giggled, "As usual, you sure are conceited. It's for Nunnally's sake. That girl said that she doesn't need anything as long as she can stay with her brother."_

"_Just because of that?"_

The memory progressed. And suddenly, Suzaku's heart gradually grew lighter.

_Lelouch smirked and let out a short bark of laughter, "What about Cornelia?"_

"_It's not as if I won't see her again…"_

"_However, because of your recklessness, you managed to attain everything in the end." Lelouch glanced away, gaze wistful before facing her again. "Come to think of it, before you're a Vice-Governor or a princess, you're just Euphie." _

"_Since I'm just Euphie, are you willing to work together with me?" Euphemia held out a hand._

Suzaku knew Lelouch had his poker face on, but the gratitude that he felt was rather overwhelming.

"_To me… you're the worst kind of enemy I face." Lelouch's smirked, grasping Euphemia's hand firmly in his own. "You win. Let's plan how we can make this Specially Administered Zone survive." He said, in reply to Euphemia's puzzled look. "Ah, but I won't become your subordinate."_

And then he saw it. That one horrible mistake. That uncalculated possibility. That careless misstep. Suzaku shared in Lelouch's desperation in trying to get Euphemia to stop. But it was to no avail…

The first gun shot.

Suzaku's hand went up to his heart, as if unconsciously trying to comfort Lelouch. Emotions rushed through him. His pain, guilt, regret, grief. All the feelings in one dark, violent maelstrom that had to be kept out of his voice when issuing orders. Lelouch however, did not try to stop his tears from streaming down his cheeks. Lelouch's thoughts echoed in his mind, and a tiny resolve shone through the ball of emotions. A resolve to bear and atone for Euphie's sake. Using that resolve, Lelouch lifted a gun and shot at point blank.

Back in the confines of a small room, Suzaku listened to the conversation between C.C. and Lelouch. A crushing sadness overwhelmed him before he felt Lelouch lock it up and seal it deep within his heart.

* * *

When he came to, he heard C.C.'s voice. It seemed that she was arguing with someone. His vision was blurry as his eyes refocused, his mouth dry and patchy. It didn't help that C.C. sometimes didn't face the person she was talking to, but he could not see anyone in the room. He saw Erica and Maya standing behind the couch he was propped on, their eyes deceivingly normal.

"Wha…?" Suzaku's eyes flitted around randomly, still rather disorientated.

Erica cheekily placed a finger in front of her lips while Maya once again used her Geass. A red sphere soon surrounded the three of them, and a deep baritone was picked up by their ears.

"Witch." It muttered, not at all pleased.

"The look on your face was really quite comical." C.C.'s Cheshire grin was much too obvious.

"I had no time to come up with any response!" Lelouch argued, indignant. "There were at least 124 things I could've said! And who asked you to tell Suzaku to meet me?"

"Myself."

Lelouch looked as if he wanted to strangle her, but he settled for an extra loud sigh and a click of his tongue.

"But it _is_ unlike you to be shy." C.C. smirked, biting into a piece of pizza.

A bright red hue dusted Lelouch's cheeks, and the normally excellent orator had no clever comeback, instead becoming quite flustered. He held his arms, avoiding C.C.'s penetrating orbs. And Suzaku… Suzaku smiled.

"Lelouch." The brunette got up, calling his name.

The raven's head jerked sharply towards where Suzaku was sitting before he quickly lowered his eyes, as if ashamed.

"Suzaku." The raven murmured softly, a certain fondness to it.

C.C. hoisted herself up, finishing the last bit of pizza. She and the twins took this as their cue to leave the two young adults to themselves.

"You're…" Suzaku broke the silence between them before growing hesitant. "You're alive?"

"Ah, I figured you would ask that." Lelouch allowed his lips to form a small smile. "But no, I am not."

"Then how…?"

"As you know, the twins have Geass. C.C. granted it to them. The elder one—Maya—can see spirits. She can pass the power on to others as well."

"Oh." Suzaku lifted his eyes thoughtfully, everything making sense to him.

Another silence fell on them, as each struggled to know the right words to say.

"Suzaku—," Lelouch began.

"Lelouch—," Suzaku said at the same time.

The both of them looked at each other.

"Oh, you go first." Suzaku offered, patting the seat next to him.

Lelouch paused before tentatively taking a step forward. A few more and he was settling down beside Suzaku, hands clasped tightly together.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch looked into the depths of green that made up his former knight's eyes. "Forget what you just saw."

"What?" Suzaku frowned, confused.

"Forget what you just saw and go back to Nunnally. I won't disturb your peace anymore." Lelouch repeated, his voice trailing off.

Suzaku's face grew solemn, "I just have one question." He held Lelouch by the shoulders, "Did you kill Euphie because you didn't want her to bear the sin of initiating a massacre?"

"I…" Lelouch tried to shy away from him.

"Look at me, Lelouch." Suzaku's tone held no room for argument.

"I—There wasn't a time limit for that order. I thought she would be more at ease that way. I didn't want her to suffer after she had realized what she had done. I never wanted to…" Lelouch's already soft volume turned into a whisper.

"I see." Suzaku's shoulders slumped and he let out a long breath, releasing Lelouch.

"Suzaku?"

"You thought I was at peace after I killed you?" Suzaku asked, leaning back against the lumpy couch.

"Well…"

The conversation was left like that for a while, the both of them reminiscing about the three months they had together as Emperor and knight. While they acted normal, there was no more of that closeness that they had shared. No more teasing, joking around, no laughter. Suzaku made sure to draw a bold line the two of them by keeping a professional distance. Lelouch knew he deserved it, but the brunette's hate did not quell his want to reach out just a little. But he didn't. Not until the very last moment, the one time he could allow a slip of truth to surface. No one saw the gentle hand cupping Suzaku cheek, leaving ugly blood stains on the mask of Zero. No one but Suzaku saw that last smile, triumphant… and compassionate.

"I expected it too." Suzaku said, more to himself than anyone else. "But something else happened."

This time, it was Lelouch's turn to gaze at him in confusion.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch rested his hand on the other's shoulder lightly. "You need to learn how to really forgive yourself."

"And you don't?" A wry smile appeared on Suzaku's face.

Lelouch chuckled, the sound filling Suzaku's ears, "Maybe… But know that even if you don't forgive yourself, I do."

"Lelouch…" Suzaku's eyes widened.

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

In that split second, Euphemia's words came back to him.

"_I order you to love me! And in return, I will love you back!"_

"_So don't hate yourself!"_

"Farewell, Suzaku."

Suzaku blinked, snapping out of his reverie and saw Lelouch already heading out of the cottage. Body took over mind and he made a grab for Lelouch, hugging him from behind. His nose nuzzled the crook of the surprised raven's neck and his grip grew tighter. The smell of Lelouch filled his senses and he sighed contentedly, not knowing how much he actually missed the raven's presence.

"Suzaku?"

"Don't go."

"Huh?"

"Stay. For a little while longer."

"…What about Euphy?" Lelouch hands curled into loose fists, while he looked away.

"Euphy?" Suzaku drew away slightly, blinking in curiousity.

"You loved her." Lelouch pulled away from Suzaku's hold, a hand coming up to rest on his arm on the other side. "So… you shouldn't betray that feeling by getting any closer to her murderer."

"Lelouch, what are you saying? I saw what happened and—,"

"_Stop it._"

At that moment, Suzaku's next words died on his mouth. It was how Lelouch sounded—pained. There was a certain anguish to that phrase.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch smiled ruefully, "I am a killer. You are a hero. Don't forget that."

The brunette stared after him as he left, not knowing what to do. Yes, he was a hero. Yes, Lelouch killed Euphy. Yes, why should he bother about the raven anymore?

Yet, it hurt to watch him go.

He stayed in that cottage, leaning on the window ledge and staring listlessly out the smudged window. He remembered the night before Zero Requiem was completed. He had asked whether Lelouch was really going to carry out the plan. It was an impulse—a sudden desire to find another solution. He didn't know why he asked about that back then—he thought that was the most befitting end for Lelouch.

_Somehow, without knowing it, I… seem to have to have forgiven him already. Before knowing the truth. _Suzaku rested his chin on his knee. _Lelouch… just what exactly are you to me? My best friend? My greatest enemy? Euphy's killer? The Demon Emperor? Nunnally's brother? You wear so many masks…_

"And I thought you were a little sharper at recognizing feelings. Seems you're just as dense as Lelouch." C.C. walked in, not at all surprised that he was still here even though night had fallen.

"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked, not unkindly.

"When you are in battle, you can always lose a shield. But if you lose a sword, you cannot continue fighting."

Suzaku waited.

"A sword can protect as well, Suzaku." C.C. sighed tiredly. "Why do you still yearn for Lelouch? You thought about nothing but him after his death. And you even mourned it, did you not?"

"I…"

"The answer should be clear enough. Whether you accept it or not is not my business." C.C. set down the box of pizza she brought in with her.

When she finished making herself comfortable on the couch, Suzaku was already gone, the door wide open behind him.

A brunette's silhouette flitted through the lush foliage, going so fast, he was almost a blur.

"He's at the Exelica Gardens." Erica called from above the trees.

"Thanks!" Suzaku nodded, sprinting faster.

"My power lasts until the day is over. Make full use of it." Came the gentle voice of Maya as he passed the flower fields.

"Understood!"

So in the end, this was why. This was why he had felt so torn. This was why he cried. This was why. It was such a simple answer. But they had so much going around them. There was no time to fully understand or relish that precious feeling. That one special emotion…

Suzaku felt his lungs burn with exhaustion. _Just a little more…_ He thought, increasing his strides. And as if on cue, the sight unfolded before him. There Lelouch was, in all his magnificent beauty. There was no doubt that the raven was stunning. However, somehow… tonight, he took Suzaku's breath away.

Still in those white emperor robes, his hair shone as a stark contrast. And those eyes…

He looked damn good. Even if he was a spirit.

Suzaku didn't slow down. In fact, a mischievous smile crept up his face (it hadn't in forever), and he pounced, making Lelouch yelp in surprise. They fell over, with Suzaku laughing so light-heartedly, it was as if nothing had happened between them. The black blood between them, that river of hate and everything that was in it… all of it was gone.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch cried, shoving the still laughing brunette off him, his hair all ruffled. "What are you doing?"

Lelouch was definitely questioning his friend's sanity right now.

"What?" Suzaku choked out, laughter finally dying. "What, I wonder…?"

Lelouch opened and closed his mouth, completely at a loss of words. It didn't help that it was dark, he couldn't really see the expression of the other. The sky above them was pretty—littered with plenty of stars. The moon later revealed herself from behind a dark cloud, it rays gently bathing the two young adults lying on the grass. Lelouch's right arm rested lightly on his abdomen while his other was supporting his head from behind.

"We used to do this a lot, staring at the night sky…" Lelouch sighed, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "If we… could have stayed like that…"

"Yeah." Suzaku agreed, his hands holding the back of his head. "But… you didn't regret it, did you? Everything…"

"No." The answer came, firm. "I chose this path on my own. I… don't expect forgiveness from anyone." His voice took on a more reserved tone.

"I didn't know forgiving someone would feel so good, actually." Suzaku sighed, content, his eyes closing.

A little pause. Then,

"Suzaku, what did you just say?"

"I. Forgive. You." Suzaku grinned, not looking at the raven.

He wanted to. Badly. He knew that Lelouch's mouth would be hanging open like Grand Canyon. But he kept his eyes shut.

"Suzaku." Lelouch's voice dropped to a mere whisper, the slower than usual pronunciation of his name suggesting that his thoughts were all a flurry.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Suzaku smiled, still teasing.

_Whoosh._

And when he opened his eyes again, he was looking directly in amethyst ones. The latter's was hesitant. Afraid. Hoping. And they were shimmering with something that strangely resembled tears.

"Say it." Lelouch fisted his hands in Suzaku's Zero garb.

He rested his forehead on Suzaku's chest, as if begging.

"Say what?" Now, Suzaku was being mean.

"Say it again. Please."

"Ah," Suzaku's grin turned affectionate, and his hand came to rest lightly on the back of Lelouch's head, "I forgive you." He murmured into the raven's ear.

And he repeated the phrase throughout the night, gently holding Lelouch close to his own body, stroking the raven's back with what one could call love.

That night, C.C.'s soft, amused chuckling filled the gardens.

* * *

The chirping of birds disturbed Suzaku's sleep, and he reluctantly awakened, opening his eyes to the still-dark sky of dawn. His hand was no longer wrapped around Lelouch's waist as it had been the night before, and was now resting on his belly. He started, panicking at Lelouch's disappearance.

"Lelouch?" He stood up, seeing black spots behind his eyes from getting up too fast. "Where are you?"

"I did tell you my powers would only last until the day was over." Maya approached him, not fazed by the wild look in Suzaku's eyes.

But then, her eyes softened and she touched Suzaku's hand in an effort to calm him down. The light touch drew Suzaku's attention, and he stilled.

"Enjoy yourselves." Maya flashed them a beautiful smile, squeezing Suzaku's fingers.

Once again, Lelouch suddenly appeared out of thin air, and there was sudden weight on Suzaku's right shoulder. He found himself staring into concerned purple eyes and was so overcome with relief, he sagged against Lelouch. Maya was nowhere to be found. Arms came to circle the thin body that was Lelouch's and the grip was tighter than need be.

"Suzaku," Lelouch patted Suzaku's head comfortingly, not knowing what else he could do to ease the brunette, "please remember… I'm not alive anymore."

A muffled, shaky laugh, "Kinda forgot. You just seem so real." Suzaku brought their hands up, locking them together. "I can feel your hands, your lips, your hair…"

"Oh, that." Lelouch smiled, recalling something. "Maya's Geass actually gives her the power to communicate with spirits to this extent. But she can only grant her Geass to others for up to three people at one time."

They stayed like that for a while, relishing each other's presence. Before a bell tower sounded from the well-known Ashford Academy, signalling lunch time for it's many students.

"Oh, yeah! There was that meeting that I was supposed to attend. Come with me?" Suzaku turned, just tilting his head to one side.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch paused, "You're supposed to be dead." He deadpanned.

"Oh, right! I need the mask." Suzaku jolted, dashing away to find it.

"It's in the cottage, you idiot!" Lelouch called after him.

"Then, let's go!" Suzaku zoomed past Lelouch in the opposite direction, not wasting a second more.

And of course, leaving no choice for Lelouch but to follow him.

Halfway through though…

"Wait—," Lelouch gasped for breath (apparently his physical prowess didn't improve even after he died), "I said, wait, you exercise—," another pant before doubling over, "_nut!_"

"C'mon, Lelouch!" Suzaku jogged back to him, raising an eyebrow in mirth.

"Idiot…" Lelouch looked as if he wanted to die (pun not intended).

Suzaku shook his head helplessly at him, and grabbed Lelouch's hand… before taking off into a full sprint. Lelouch, needless to say, was not pleased. He yelled, and fought against Suzaku's grip, telling—no, _ordering _Suzaku to stop.

Well, when he finally did, they were back at the cottage.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Suzaku had his hands on his hips, grinning.

Lelouch had a sheen of sweat coating his forehead, a hand holding a nearby tree to steady himself. He didn't even have the energy to retort.

"I'll get the mask," Suzaku coughed, trying to hold back his chuckle, "so you can rest here for a bit."

"You… brute…"

Though Lelouch just had to have the last word.

As Suzaku entered the abode, he spotted the mask left forgotten on top of the rickety table. He leaned down to pick up, before turning around to greet C.C., who had made no noise at all as she moved.

C.C. didn't reply, her eyes scrutinizing Suzaku with a wisdom accumulated over the years she had lived, "I see you've realised."

"Ah yeah. Thank you for helping." Suzaku bowed once to express his gratitude. "But… didn't you love him? If so, why?"

C.C. met his eyes, steady, "What do you think of Euphemia?"

"Huh? Well, she was an angel." Suzaku rubbed the back of his head, thinking. "I guess you could've said she was the light to me. But somehow… Lelouch is different." Suzaku turned serious and in all honesty, said, "I love Lelouch."

"Then you have your answer." C.C. scoffed lightly, "The both of you, that is."

Suzaku heard the door creak hesitantly open, and Lelouch stepped in, the surprise written all over his face.

"Suzaku, what is the meaning of this?" Panic crept into Lelouch's voice. "I thought… No, you're supposed to love Euphy. You can't…"

"Lelouch, what do you mean 'I can't'? I don't understand—," Suzaku held out a hand to touch Lelouch's cheek.

"Don't touch me!" Lelouch slapped his hand away harshly, causing Suzaku to recoil and stare.

"Lelouch?"

Lelouch then realized what he had done and quickly avoided Suzaku's face, "I— I'm sorry."

"Why can't I love you?" Suzaku attempted to reach for him again, but Lelouch backed up against the wall, afraid.

"B-Because…" Lelouch's shoulders shook, his voice barely above the smallest of whispers, "you're not supposed to."

Suzaku blinked twice, and then he understood.

_I don't deserve this._

"You can think that. But you can't change what I feel. And what I have always felt for you." Suzaku spoke, effectively trapping Lelouch as he laid his hands on the wall, one on either side of the raven's head.

"You can't…" Lelouch repeated. "_I can't_…"

"And who was the one telling me I shouldn't be hard on myself?"

"Shut up."

"Everyone," Suzaku drew Lelouch into another hug, "Everyone deserves happiness, isn't that right?"

"_You _do."

"So do you." Suzaku replied firmly.

"You sure thought otherwise." The prince scoffed softly, eyes darkening.

He did not resist however, the hug that grew tighter.

"I'm sorry…" The apology came from Suzaku.

Honest, sincere and most of all, regretful.

"Idiot." Lelouch's slack arms now came up to hook around Suzaku's neck.

"I can't say I didn't miss that nickname." Suzaku's hand came up between them to grasp Lelouch's.

Their faces were so close, and angled towards each other. Their breaths were mingling as they pressed harder against each other, as if trying to mould their forms into one. Both pairs of eyes went half-mast, before Suzaku closed his and moved in. Their lips met in a soft, hesitant kiss. Suzaku backed away slowly afterwards, gauging Lelouch's reaction. Lelouch's eyes brimmed with tears, but he refused to cry. No. Instead, his hold on Suzaku's neck tightened, and he jerked Suzaku towards himself again. The second kiss was clumsy, their teeth clipped against each other, but they didn't care. Even though it was a rocky start, the need, the desire was definitely there, no doubt.

C.C. allowed herself a ghost of a smile before she resumed her usual air of disinterest.

"My, my." C.C. smirked. "I seem to have been forgotten."

The two broke apart, jerked out from their own world. Suzaku gave a nervous laugh before clearing his throat. Lelouch's face reddened, his cheeks giving away his embarrassment.

"Oh?" C.C. was so enjoying this. "No, no. Don't mind me. Continue your frolicking."

Suzaku then flashed an apologetic smile as he took Lelouch's hand and led him outside. C.C. took a look at the Zero mask, which was once again, forgotten.

* * *

"It will be soon, will it not?" Maya came up to her twin who was sharing the couch with C.C..

"As long as Lelouch does not have anymore regrets, it is only natural for him not to linger in this world." Erica shrugged. "Which reminds me, we still have a job to do for him. And after that, we will travel the world ourselves, helping those who need it."

"You are right." Maya nodded, linking one hand with her sister's.

"Ho~" C.C. lounged, bored out of her mind, "He actually had the time to give you one?"

"C.C.," They spoke in unison, "you were the person who acknowledged our existence in replacement of our parents who are no longer here. We were determined to be useful at least once in our lifetimes. And it seems we have achieved that."

C.C. sat up, watching them curiously. Both raised their hands to her forehead, and the Code started to shine, shafts of light piercing through the dull windows of the cottage. The witch's eyes widened with shock.

"In return for granting Lelouch's wish." They finished before C.C. could reply. "And ours as well."

C.C. gasped, tearing away from their grasp, "Don't! What are you two thinking?"

She grabbed at their hands, her mouth going slack at the marks. The impossible had happened.

The Code had broken in half, almost certainly relinquishing whatever effects it had.

* * *

"Suzaku, where are we going?" Lelouch asked.

"I didn't really think about that." Suzaku admitted, chuckling at his own abruptness. "But I just wanted to be alone with you."

"Idiot." Lelouch's cheeks coloured again. "Don't say such embarrassing things."

"It's true, you know." Suzaku cupped Lelouch's cheek tenderly, his thumb moving back and forth to caress it.

Lelouch leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and letting out a small, satisfied sigh. Suzaku was about to take another step forward and kiss him, but was stopped short by the hand on his wrist. He looked at Lelouch questioningly.

"Suzaku," Lelouch said, not opening his eyes, "ask Cornelia to put my body in the Damocles. Then, send the Damocles to the sky. Both will eventually reach the sun, and be destroyed by it."

Suzaku's hand stopped and his smile faded.

"Promise me, Suzaku." Lelouch held Suzaku's hand with both of his. "We are both symbols of hate, so it is right that we are destroyed. I need no memorial nor tombstone. It is only fitting that the Damocles becomes my coffin and my final resting place."

Suzaku made no move to face him, but laid his other hand on top of Lelouch's, bringing them close to his heart, "Yes, your Majesty."

A final look of bliss filled Lelouch's expression, and Suzaku noticed that the weight of the hands he was holding was decreasing at an alarming rate. Suzaku snapped his head to face Lelouch. He had the same smile on his face, that smile before his moment of death.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku breathed, filled with dread.

"Suzaku…" Lelouch continued to hold that expression, giving his knight's hands a last comforting squeeze—a gesture that Suzaku hardly felt.

Suzaku, in desperation, clung to his emperor, his best friend, his enemy and now, his newfound lover. He didn't want to let go. No. No! Not so soon. He clutched tighter, pulling on the fabric that was fast disappearing from view. It wasn't fair, dammit! This time, it was Lelouch to rub Suzaku's back soothingly, the touches already like a butterfly's. Tears pooled in Suzaku's eyes, as he tried to fight against fate.

Lelouch brushed away the bangs covering Suzaku's eyes, then as gently and he could, swiped away the tears that threatened to fall, "I will find you again, Suzaku. No matter how many times I am reborn, I will find you again."

"Lelouch, wait! I—," Suzaku leaned back, so that he could see that face one last time and burn it, etch it into his memory.

"And no matter how many times I once again walk this world," Lelouch touched his forehead to Suzaku's, his eyes voice going husky from emotion, "I am sure I will come to fall for you again."

Suzaku's hands were now fisting in thin air.

"Live, Suzaku. For my part as well." A single tear was brought by the wind, landing lightly on Suzaku's outstretched hand—one last futile attempt to reach for the other.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku choked through a sob.

And then, as if he never existed, gone were those stunning amethyst eyes that bore the love that he returned. Gone was the face he couldn't get out of his head throughout the whole ordeal of Zero. The wind blew strong across the afternoon sky, picking up blades of grass.

Suzaku once again fell to his knees and cried.

For destiny had taken Lelouch away from him… and this time, the discarded prince was not coming back.

* * *

Cornelia skimmed through the speech prepared for her in advance. As usual, Guilford's English was flawless, the meaning she wanted to convey was there. But somehow, she felt unsettled. Her eyes searched the crowd that were attending the Demon Emperor's funeral. It wasn't even a funeral actually. No minister, no procession and no official announcement. It was just a simple gathering of people.

Nunnally, was here of course, Sayoko, Kallen, Tamaki, Ōgi, Viletta, Tōdō, Rakshata, Kaguya, Tian Zi, Xingke and surprisingly Nina, Lloyd and Cecille. Rivalz showed up, demanding to be let in until Milly arrived, granting them both entrance. Cornelia spied C.C. in one corner and Jeremiah in the other. Gino and Anya decided to tag along even. All of them were in black.

When she glanced back at Nunnally and saw those earnest violet eyes, she knew at once it was not her place.

With a rueful smile, she folded the speech that had been painstakingly prepared for her and motioned to the soon-to-be Governor General of Area 11. Sayoko understood in that instant and pushed Nunnally forward, turning her around to face the crowd of people gathered at the control room of Damocles. The girl was resilient, and it showed—there was not a tremor in her voice. Her hands clasped together, the girl began:

"_Lelouch Lamperouge, or Lelouch vi Britannia, a name that my brother hardly used, was… a man like no other. Yet, he was the same as us. He had loved ones he wanted to protect. He wished happiness for those that stood by him. He was kind to those he deemed important. He fought for his own beliefs, principals and happiness. However, he sinned just as greatly. He killed many in battle for the sake of revenge, sacrificed the blood of thousands and scorned his enemies with hatred._

_How many of us here, today, have done the same?_

_His actions had many meanings, differing from one person to another. For some, he repaved the path they themselves had destroyed. For others, he hurt to protect. For many, he granted peace. I think, today, we are not here to neither judge nor justify his actions. To err is to be human. My brother too, was not perfect._

_To all those who are present today, I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. Let us mourn for the passing of my beloved brother, who sacrificed himself to bring a measure of peace to our chaotic world. I'm sure… that he is watching over us. Like always."_

Nunnally's orbs shimmered with unshed tears but she made no move to wipe them. She took a deep breath to calm herself, closing her eyes in the process. It was at that moment a soft hand descended upon her shoulder, making her turn. Her eyes met with a neatly folded yellow paper crane, and the mask of Zero. The rest observed silently, not at all surprised by his presence. Nunnally hesitantly received the delicate piece of art, an expression of recognition passing through her face as her deft fingers touched his.

The alleged hero nodded slightly to Sayoko and took over her job, pushing Nunnally to the still open coffin housing Lelouch's body. His complexion was ashen, and his hands cold, but his face was strikingly serene.

"Zero." She lifted her hand and in response, the warm hand came to meet hers.

Resolute, with her other hand, she lay the paper crane next to her brother before Zero shut the lid with a final 'thud'.

The people left one by one, only after coming up to the coffin and paying their last respects, saying whatever they wanted to say to Lelouch.

Nunnally and Suzaku spared one final, fleeting glance before they too, walked out… towards tomorrow.


End file.
